Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-01-05
North Street.
Smith, out of town; back next week.
Jones busy.
Phil ps. busy.
: Mccoy, sa, call at noon.
Davis, out.

: Williams, out.
IS Peters. busy.
Ii ChildS, out
| Harrison, sick.
When through the first canvass he
should 90 over the ground again and
again until all have had a chance.
This is the only way in which a thor
ough canvass of town can be made.
as it will not do to trust to memory.
Yes, sir, it's a regular art to sell
subscription book, and there are but
few avocations equal to this in requir-
ing a knowledge of mankind. While
there are certain general principles
termed human nature common to all,
the agent finds each specimen varied
in minor points, SO that if he feels dis
posed to observe he can adapt himself
to the peculiarities of individuals and
thus wonderfully increase his influence
in the important art of pleasing. If
it's like any thing, this business re-
sembles fishing more than any thing
else. Some days the agent will not
obtain even a name, while on others
his business will be first rate. | have
known of an agent starting out fresh
on Monday morning and working
faithfully the first three days of the
week without obtaining name. But
the three remaining days he got nine
teen names.
''Are there no people whom you adj
wise agents to avoid?'
''Yes, an agent should avoid as a
pestilence men in groups, public gath
erings and people at conrt. Very little
can can be effected on such occasions.
Walk up to any knot of three or four
and one of them is sure to be either a
joker or grumbler, and if either,
laugh or whine will be made at your
expense, so that all hopes of getting
subscribers will be lost. But call upon
a man at his home or place of business
and he feels himself particularly ad
dressed; his mind is more free to act,
and the chances of success are better,
for he is but one, and you, if quick-wit-
ted, will soon see how to suit him.
When all other arts fail the agent often
wins by asking gentleman OF lady fthe
birthday of wife or husband or friend
will not occur soon, and suggesting
the nicely of his book as a birthday or
Christmas present. People often tell
an agent awful stories of having been
cheated by book. agents. An old agent,
perfect prodigy, the Napoleon of
agents, in fact, who, although near
seventy years of age. works unremit-
tingly from morning until night, has
apet mode of meeting this cheating OBJ
lection. We'll, he says to the COM
palmer, you have sometimes bought a
hat and found that it did not do good
service and sometimes a pair Of boots
that wore right out, and you considered
you had been cheated in both hat and
boots. Yes, that's a fact, is the re-
ply. Then, says the agent, did you
from fear of again being cheated de-
termine to go hatless, and barefooted
the rest of your davsp' But one of the
real arts in the business and which
people ontside of it don't have any
idea of, is to deliver book after it has
been subscribed for. The majority of
agents generally lose from five to ten
subscribers in a hundred. The success
in delivering all depends upon the
agent. Some few agents whom we
have known make out grandly IN OBJ
tanning subscribers and miserably in
delivering, losing one out of three
and sometimes even worse. These
were always very amiable men, of
whose good nature advantage was
taken. The fault was mainly their
own. When they call upon a sub
scriber they acted just as if they ex-
pected he would refuse to fill his con-
tract, saying something like this, /
have brought your book; | hope you
are ready to take it, as it were, invit-
ing him. TO make an excuse. To deliver
well an agent should be pleasant, but
firm and decided, acting just as if the
subscriber was as anxious to procure
as he to deliver the article, and. he
rarely will experience any dificulty.'
N. 7. Mail and E1press.